Chew the Fat! > IAC & Master Solvers Club
2023 MARCH MSC
Masse24:
MARCH 2023 MSC
Deadline: JANUARY 31 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)
Submit your MARCH MSC responses here: The Bridge World - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
BWS 2017 System: BWS 2017
BWS 2017 POLLS, CHANGES AND ADDITIONS: BWS 2017 - Polls, Changes, and Additions
* Bridge World Standard 2017 (BWS or BWS2017) is effective beginning with the January 2017 Master Solvers' Club problems. This page shows (1) the results of the panelist polls that were used to adjust the system; and (2) the changes in and the additions to Bridge World Standard 2001 (BWS2001) that were made.
In the listings of the questions and answers, an asterisk indicates the BWS2001 agreement; the proportion of the expert votes for each item, rounded to the nearest percent, is shown in brackets.
IAC Forum MSC Scores
* * *
jcreech:
My initial guesses:
Problem A: 3 !D I think I am in the wrong seat to convert the double, so I will bid. Partner should know that if I had clubs, I would bid them, and if I were rich, I would have made an immediate responsive double, so this is asking for a 3-level best major. (I would probably have made a responsive double on this hand, but you live with the traveled path, not the one wished for.)
Problem B: 2 !S My preference would have been to bid diamonds, anticipating the heart bid, then I could show spades. Since I did not do that, I feel I am stuck with taking the hint, rebidding my spades to show the weakest action.
Problem C: 3 !H Partner should have five, so I may as well raise and let him know of the fit. Tempting as it may be, I don't want to reverse into clubs for a delayed support (implying diamond shortness).
Problem D: Dbl I am torn between 1NT and double. 1 NT is right on points and shows the stopper, but the stopper is badly placed if West can find an entry to East early. The hand has the right shape for the double, but if partner chooses diamonds, the support is very anemic. I would be pleasantly surprised to hear a pass from partner if I double, but with me holding the AQ, I don't expect that to happen even with a stack.
Problem E: 4 !S I hate opening 2 !C with a two-suiter, but having done so, I will rebid my spades and hope partner can figure out what to do next.
Problem F: 6 !H This one will require additional thought. Partner opened and supported by six-card suit at the four-level. I have first-round control of all suits, and the opponents are showing a lot of length in my void. I am very tempted to trot out 5 NT (grand-slam force - bid 7 with 2 of the top three trump). Walking the dog may allow me to buy the grand, where the GSF may lead to the 7 !S sacrifice.
Problem G: 3 !S I hate splintering into a singleton ace, but a slam is very possible, so I need cooperation. A diamond cue-bid would be wonderful.
Problem H: !D A I suspect I need to produce a Deschapelles coup, so I will look at dummy to decide which suit I need to lead to attack dummy's entry.
blubayou:
I am leaning toward bidding the most boring, sleepwalking rebid that can occur to any of us on ALL the bidding problems --except problem F, where i am certainly slam hunting. This is not a good sign hence we have no Early-Bird guesses until late on the eighth.
A:>> (1) Competing to 2NT for a make THINKING THAT THE OPPS' OVERCALL IS ALSO MAKING is not this kind of 9-count. (2) moving on to some 4-3 or4-2 major fit makes me ill. (3) raising -- forget #3. raising is o-u-t out. That leaves going for the +200--and getting -180 once in a while. final word: ---PASS---
B:>> Right now the hint has me aboard. Our two non-openers have not "blossomed". I will sign off, and the opp's are welcome to their 3H competition. Somebody talk me out of THIS one.
---2 Spades---
C:>> This is such a beautiful problem, it would be a shame to start with the obvious simple raise. Bidding "around the clock" -- 3 clubs now, then a heart jump ( or splinter to 5!D should north rebid his hearts. Then, there is the temptation to rebid the spades first and who knows how many fun bids will we have in the later rounds. For the real bashers, there may be the mighty leap to 5 !D meaning exclusion RKC but that's not gonna float in the MSC.
D:>> The heart AQ, along with the correct point-count cannot be denied. If I reopened with a double and heard a spade response, i swear I would convert to notrump even then.
---1 Notrump---
E:>> Five Clubs may help partner bid slam holding the measly black suit help we need; Four Spades will not.
That is enough for me to stop worrying about hitting a completely worthless dummy which would means the four level is out last chance of a plus ( two black singletons might might bring home 5 clubs after all)
---Five Clubs---
F:>> I didn't think of Jim's dog-walking idea so was content with the cue-bid for an answer. It would be ideal if partner was moved to Blackwood after that--very nice. What bid shows 3 of five + a void, by the way.
---Four Spades---
G:>> __Three spades--- ( and leave him in 3NT hehehe )
H:>> Deschapelles Coup from trick one! for a 30 score I suppose :-[
--- Diamond Queen ---
jcreech:
--- Quote from: blubayou on January 11, 2023, 11:03:27 AM ---
B:>> Right now the hint has me aboard. Our two non-openers have not "blossomed". I will sign off, and the opp's are welcome to their 3H competition. Somebody talk me out of THIS one.
---2 Spades---
--- End quote ---
Don't look to me to talk you out of this choice - I may have had different reasons, but I agreed with the choice.
--- Quote from: blubayou on January 11, 2023, 11:03:27 AM ---
D:>> The heart AQ, along with the correct point-count cannot be denied. If I reopened with a double and heard a spade response, i swear I would convert to notrump even then.
---1 Notrump---
--- End quote ---
My luck at the table is such that no matter which way I go, it will be wrong. With NT, they will either find the entry to East's hand that brings my AQ to a single stop, or West has so many entries it doesn't matter if they lead into the AQ. By the end of the month, I may be bidding 1 NT like you, or you may be doubling like me.
--- Quote from: blubayou on January 11, 2023, 11:03:27 AM ---
F:>> I didn't think of Jim's dog-walking idea so was content with the cue-bid for an answer. It would be ideal if partner was moved to Blackwood after that--very nice. What bid shows 3 of five + a void, by the way.
---Four Spades---
--- End quote ---
I look forward to you developing the BluBayou control-showing bid, and then getting The Bridge World to add the bid to MSC 2037.
--- Quote from: blubayou on January 11, 2023, 11:03:27 AM ---
H:>> Deschapelles Coup from trick one! for a 30 score I suppose :-[
--- Diamond Queen ---
--- End quote ---
Did someone fail to tell you that dummy's entry is in spades? Well, it might be. But then it could be in diamonds. The question is, do you want to put all your eggs in one basket? The !D Q may get you the 30 or 100, but then, so could the !D A.
I hope you, Jock, and everyone else takes this in the spirit that was intended - one part serious, one part tongue-in-cheek. :P
blubayou:
For problem F, I meant "what response to the hoped-for "blackwood" shows A+A+A+void.. in case that wasn't clear. And YES a little rough & tumble in the conversation -- just like at the after-party at the pizza joint at 11PM -- is definitely welcome here in the forum ;D
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